Christmas 2011

It has been almost 2 months since I've last blogged.  Terrible.  I can't believe it.  Well, instead of coming up with my excuse (or lack there of), here is what has since happened:

Marcel had his second concert at North Star and they improved so much since the first one:

Christmas Eve at church: Marcel ran sound and I served as his assistant, because I didn't want to sit all alone.  Here, we are after church in the booth:

And then Pastor Ryan took our picture.  I really like it ;)

The next morning, we got up super early (it was so long ago, but I think it was 5am) so that we could have our very own Christmas before going to church.  

Yes, our tree is crooked but still perfectly decorated in a not-so-perfect way :)

Our delicious monkey bread for breakfast

Ornaments: 

I told Marcel I wanted 2 things: a necklace and a purse

and then I realized how difficult of a task that was.  Purse shopping is hard work and I asked Marcel to do it, but he did a fantastic job!

Along the same line, Marcel wanted a wallet.

and he was beyond excited to get Harry Potter 7.2 to finish his collection.

Merry Christmas to us!

After our early morning Christmas, we headed to church.  I was supposed to teach Sunday School but last minute they decided to just have the little ones sit in the service with their parents, so we planned some more curriculum.  Second service I went to church, got to watch Marcel drum, which I will never tire of, and then off to my mom's for more Christmas, which was wonderful, even if we didn't take a single picture.

We did Christmas with my dad on the 26th when Payton & Presley were back from their dad's.  We tried to take pictures but our camera died after Marcel took a picture of my legs and some stuff out of my dad's stocking so no exciting pictures there.

It was a great holiday, even if it took me 2 months to blog about it :)  We are loving our chest freezer and  will greatly appreciate the luggage and water-proof camcorder once our cruise rolls around!

Christmas Tree

I had high hopes of putting up our tree before our vacation, but packing always takes more time than I expect, so we did it when we got home.

Marcel isn't a fan of putting up/decorating the tree, but he helped his mom do her tree, and as a way to start our own traditions, he was happy to help this year :)

It has ornaments on it now, but we took the picture to see if I was happy with the lights, which I don't think I am, but I won't fix them now.  One day I'll update this post with a picture of our decorated tree, which Lilli is fascinated with.  She didn't go near the tree last year, but after just 2 days she's decided she likes the ornaments and presents!

Thanksgiving

This year, we headed to Puyallup to spend Thanksgiving with Marcel's family.  I wish I could say it was an uneventful trip, but that isn't the case.

Our 8 hour drive took us 12 hours because Snoqualmie Pass was closed for avalanche prevention work.  We didn't know that is why it was closed until we were stopped on the freeway amidst a million other cars trying to get somewhere for Thanksgiving.  It is absolutely miserable to be on the freeway with your car in the parked position (yet still running just to stay warm) for 2 hours, only to get to go a few miles, before being stopped for another hour, while having to go to the bathroom more than you have ever needed to go.  Of course, pretty much the only bathroom where we were knew they were the only gas station and thus limited their bathroom to paying customers only.  You better believe those were the best Hot Tamales I've ever had :)

Luckily for us, we had a camera with fully charged batteries, so Marcel took lots of pictures trying out different features on our new camera.

 I like this picture because it actually looks like the snow is falling.  I didn't think there was that much snow, but I guess I'm not in charge of avalanche prevention, so maybe it really was a lot of snow

 Thank goodness our car has a power outlet, because I nearly drained Marcel's computer battery while playing solitaire.  We tried using the time for talking, but really ran out of things to talk about ;)

The very next day I went to Old Navy for their save additional 50% off clearance prices and when I got home we had a flat tire.  In the rain (because don't forget we were in Washington!), Marcel changed our tire.  I'd never learned how to change a tire, but I honestly think I could do it now just from watching him.  We drove with our spare tire to Sears, where we bought the tires, only to find out they had a 5 hour wait.  It was the day before Thanksgiving and they had 1 guy working, at least that is what Marcel reported to me.  We drove sort of aimlessly (well with okay directions from the Sears guy) through Puyallup until we landed upon Les Schwab.  Our tire was fixed for a fee all while we enjoyed lunch at McDonald's.

After that, our trip went well.  We enjoyed delicious food, even though I don't care much for Thanksgiving or its food, besides my chocolate pudding pie, played plenty of games with Snoh and even more solitaire.  Something we didn't do was take a single picture!

I was bound and determined not to go home via that evil pass again even if the weather report was good, because we didn't think we'd run into weather on the way there.  That means going through Portland and once I checked with Amy & Kelly about having Saturday morning free to meet up, there was no way my mind was being changed; we were going through Portland.

We had a delicious breakfast with Amy & Kelly and even got to see where Amy lives.  It was so nice to be able to spend just an hour or so together and catch up.  It is wonderful to remember that even though we may not talk to each other often enough, when we do it is like no time has passed and we're just as close as we ever were.  That is something I am thankful for :)

Halloween

My Halloween celebrations started a few weeks ago with a trip to the pumpkin patch with Lilli and our church's Mommy & Me group (yes, they understand Lilli isn't actually my child!).  We got there early and she kept saying "Wanna go pumpkin patch."  And every day after when we talked about Halloween it was all about "pumpkin patch"

waiting for our friends

a little boy we went with did this and then Lilli wanted a turn, which was fine except she doesn't like getting her picture taken anymore.  She is WAY more interested in seeing the picture after it has been taken

No pictures of the actual pumpkin patch, because the terrain was so bumpy for Lilli's little legs, but it still wore her out

Lilli didn't want to get a pumpkin because they were so dirty, so I just chose one for her and promised her we'd give it a bath when we got home...

Then Marcel and I redeemed our LivingSocial voucher and visited Linder Farms.  Before we went to the farm, we went to our favorite place to eat in Oregon, that finally came to Idaho: Chipotle!!  It was very bit as delicious as I remember it but I'm very grateful that it is in Boise so it isn't so easy for us to go there :)  I think going to Linder Farms will be our October tradition as long as we're in Idaho.  We had a great time getting lost in the maze but still finding all the checkpoints.  We also visited the petting zoo. 

Trying to replicate the photo from last year...

but I like the ghostly lightig of this one better :)

Baby zebra

and the highlight of the visit: the baby kangaroo.

However, Marcel has always asked, mostly serious, if he could have a kangaroo.  Naturally, he asked the trainer all sorts of questions and learned we'd only have to travel to right outside of Las Vegas to get one and that if they are raised around people, they are actually very people friendly.  Now Marcel is convinced there is no reason for us not to have one :)

We also carved pumpkins but we took pictures with my new camera and I have yet to download the software I need to put the pictures onto the computer.

Easter

We had a great time dying Easter eggs adult style with Emily.  We were missing red food coloring which really limited our color options, but we still made some wonderful creations.

This was also the first year that I was the Easter bunny.  I'm getting my practice in now so I'll be an expert by the time we have kids.  Besides, I'd like to start getting more than just candy in our basket :)

Big kid style

Marcel was too interested in the process to pause for another picture

OUR Easter basket for $1.50!

We both looked so nice for church on Easter, but we managed to make it all day long without getting a picture, so you'll just have to picture Marcel in a nice purple sweater and khaki's and me in a bright pink shirt, jeans & heels!

Valentine's Day

Marcel and I decided not to exchange gifts for Valentine's Day and instead save the money for our upcoming cruise.  Even if it is June or July when we go, we decided we'd celebrate Valentine's on the beach somewhere and that would be way better than anything we could have done here.

I'm here to admit that I broke the rules, but just slightly!  We received a $10 coupon to Old Navy and even though I tried extremely hard to spend it on myself, I just couldn't find anything I wanted/needed, but of course there is always so much for Marcel.  After their clearance prices and the coupon, I paid just $0.63 for 2 new sweaters to add to his "teacher wardrobe", besides they weren't specifically for Valentine's Day, but I decided to save them until Valentine's.

Our day looked like this (minus all the boring stuff we did a part from each other, like me being at the dentist and Marcel being at work)

--Dinner at Taco Bell!  I know it is so romantic, but we had coupons for free tacos that were expiring so we were able to eat for $2.50 and that is budget friendly.
--Ice cream at Baskin Robbins!  I had a buy 1 cone, get 1 cone free coupon and decided that Valentine's Day was the best day to go out for ice cream, especially since we've given up all eating out for above-mentioned cruise fund.
--We then came home and watched Valentine's Day and Salt, which we rented for free thanks to Redbox's free promo codes.  We still have Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps to watch today when Marcel gets home from school.

And now to the pictures:

The BEST date ever

I LOVE how giddy I look in this picture.  It's like you can see the love I have for Marcel

Thanks to "The Dating Divas" for this idea!



Close-up of Marcel's love note



We spent the weekend leading up to Valentine's Day at home playing a lot of games.  Friday night, I went 2-0 in skipbo and 1-1 in Phase 10, which is great considering Marcel almost always wins.  Saturday night, we played Racko & Sequence.  We went 1-1 in Racko and Marcel beat me so many times in Sequence I didn't keep track, but I did beat him once!!  It was a HUGE success in the Bailey house, because we're approaching having been together 5 years and I have NEVER beat him at Sequence.

Playing game has never been more fun!

I got the camera out to take a picture of my winning board, but Marcel messed it up, because he didn't want it to be all over facebook that I finally beat him!

14 Things

Thanks to another friend, I have another Valentine's inspired post:

14 things I love about Marcel!

1. He has a great relationship with God, and encourages me daily in my walk with God.
2. He has such a heart to serve.
3. He longs to see each of his students succeed and becomes so distraught when they aren't reaching their full potential.
4. He desires nothing more than to provide for us (which is hard, financially speaking, as a student teacher that pays to go to work).
5. He will be a fantastic father one day.
6. He works hard at everything he does: student-teaching, school & homework, church....
7. He'll listen to me whine and complain when I've had a rough day.
8. He supports me in everything I want to do.
9. He always seems to help around the house on the very day I need it most.
10. He puts up with my crying.  Seems most real, heart-to-heart conversation, whether happy or sad, brings me to tears and he looks past them.
11. He gives up his rare Taco Bell visits so we can put that money in our cruise fund. 
12. He always says, "I love you, pretty girl" at just the right time
13. He knows a side of me no one else does.
14. He loves me.

14 Days of LOVE

I was inspired by a friend (thanks Jenny!) to post one thing I love each day until Valentine's Day.

February 14
I love Valentine's Day!  I still think it is a pretty silly holiday, because people shouldn't need reminded to treat their loved ones extra special, but it is a good excuse to spoil Marcel!  It's nice to have a day where it is okay to be extra lovey-dovey and have a great date night.

February 13
I love flip-flops!  Yesterday it ws 61 degrees in Boise and I didn't wear flip-flops, but this morning I woke up and was so excited to have the chance again.  It was colder than yesterday but still warm enough that I made it to church in flip-flops.  Plus, I went a few days ago and finally redeemed the gift certificate Marcel got me for my birthday for a pedicure, so my toes are so pretty!  It just makes me so excited for warmer weather, when I can wear shorts & tank tops with my flip flops.

February 12
I love the present!  It seems we talk so much about the future: Marcel's graduation, our cruise, moving (if necessary) for a job, babies, etc... but I absolutely love where we are right now!  It's so wonderful to just be the two of us.  I wouldn't trade it for anything!

February 11
I love games & movies!  This morning, Marcel said, "let's stay home, do nothing except play games and watch movies."  It is such an awesome date night, especially since it's budget friendly.  It's just about having some dedicated time together!

February 10
I love kids!  Today, Lilli and I went to our church's "Mommy & Me" playday.  I had never seen Lilli interact with other kids.  They were all quite a bit older than her, but that didn't stop her from building blocks and playing balls with them.  She even made her very own valentine, which I know her mom will adore!  It also reminded me that kids are so honest and really do say the darnest things.  A little girl who's parents led our home group for church asked me, "When are you and Marcel going to have your own baby, not Lilli, so you can really be married?"  What a loaded question for a 4 year old!  And to think she thinks we're just pretend married for now since we're not mom & dad.

February 9
I love Sisters!  First, it means I love Emily and Hannah, just wish we didn't all live so far apart.  Secondly, I love my church's women's ministry: Sisters.  It is always such a great night of great fellowship and support.  I always leave the event refreshed and reassured of my many roles as a woman.

February 8
I love being healthy!  Today, Marcel is home sick and it reminds me that, in general, we're fairly healthy and I'm so glad for it.

February 7
I love Marcel!  It didn't really take 7 days, we just had a great day together today.  It is so wonderful to be married to your best friend and have him supporting you every step of the way.

February 6
I love coupons!  I'm headed to a friend's house shortly to teach her all things coupon.  We have been so blessed with how coupons have allowed us to stretch our budget.  But besides the food & toiletries, it also allows us to get cheap movie tickets, clothes and other entertainment.

February 5
I love marriage!  I spent time at a wedding show today and it is so consumeristic (is that a word?)  A wedding is fun, but over in a day, and what is truly important is the relationship you have with you spouse!

February 4
I love my mobility! I've spent the day with my sister, Emily, who is on crutches and wearing a brace from just below her hip to nearly her ankle after a skiing accident. She's realizing fast how much we take our legs for granted.

February 3
I love being able to pray! As Marcel and I started a marriage class at church last night, I was reminded of the fact that my marriage can only be as strong as my relationship with God, and that comes with spending time in His Word and through a great prayer life.

February 2
I love having a chance to sleep in! It was only until 8:30am, but it was still very enjoyable.

February 1
I love how helpful Lilli has become.  She helped me move all of the clothes from the washer to the dryer and then handed me all the clothes from the pile for the next load.  Granted, I could probably do it much faster without her help, but she wants to help!  And she gets so proud of herself when she's done and we start clapping for a job well done.

Easter & Updates

We didn't do anything too terribly exciting for Easter. We went to church together Saturday night, so I could enjoy sleeping in on Sunday morning, while Marcel got up to work the sound booth for the Sunday services. Saturday was our last day of fasting. I'm proud to say that we made it and did really good!

We had lunch at my mom's house and played a few card games before Marcel had some homework to finish. We did none of the "traditional" Easter stuff. We didn't dye eggs, we didn't make Easter baskets. I thought about making us some really fun baskets but time escaped me. Saturday night, though, Marcel did ask if he was going to have a basket and then put me in charge of the holiday traditional stuff like Easter baskets and Christmas stockings. Good thing I can do things without much notice, not!! I've been meaning to head to the stores this week and look for some clearance stuff for next year but haven't gotten that far. Maybe tonight. We have dyed eggs together before, but I think a lot of that stuff will be more fun when we have little ones to do it with, and again that's just not in the foreseeable future :)

(Nice little reminder, wasn't it?)

Like always, I did make Marcel pose for a picture, so it seemed like we did something on Easter. We only took one and I think it turned out decent...

UPDATES

I guess nothing to major to report here, it just feels like it has been forever since I've posted anything about what's going on here in Idaho. I'm in the middle of my 3rd week watching baby Lilli. I've had her just 4 days a week so far, but next week it will be all 5 days. I'm having a lot of fun, enjoying the practice for the FUTURE, and praying already that my children will be more scheduled than this little one! I've started to get a lot accomplished while she sleeps which is a huge blessing. It is so nice to have the housework done and dinner started when Marcel gets home from work so that we can have our evenings together without any of those distractions. Marcel has also really enjoyed having Lilli here. Even if he's gone most of the day working, she's still here when he gets home. He's going to be a great dad ONE DAY! I'd never seen him with babies, but he's wonderful :)

I've made it almost 8 weeks through the Couch to 5K running program. Since volleyball and softball in HIGH SCHOOL, I've always told myself and others that I hated running and that it hurt my knees too badly to do it. That was part true, but now I know it was just a really lame excuse ;) The program is actually 9 weeks, but since my sister (Emily) and I are running a 5K this Saturday, I skipped week 8 of running 28 minutes and went straight to week 9, running 30 minutes straight. It's been a major accomplishment for me. If you are unaware of the program, I'll just tell you that on week 1 you start running just 60 seconds at a time and back then I thought I'd die just doing that. I'm so proud of myself for this step I've made in my life. It feels so GREAT to be treating my body so well. Now I just need to tune up my eating habits a bit and I'll be all-around healthy. I am reminded almost daily by Marcel that I have a pretty big birthday approaching; I'll be 25 in September. I was trying to pretend like it doesn't freak me out, but it actually kinda does, so in honor of getting old, I'm going to run a half-marathon. I haven't looked into any dates yet, but just want to finish one while I'm 25! Marcel started the running with me, but after a few weeks of shin-splints and other injuries, he's just been going on a nice long walk everyday I run. Now I'd like us to go on walks together even on my days off. Slowly but surely we'll get there!

Marcel is doing fantastic in school. 2 classes completed and 2 A's. That's right he has a 4.0!! He's very proud of himself for that major accomplishment. He is still subbing for the Vallivue School District and went into Caldwell's district office a few weeks ago while the sub coordinator was on maternity leave. She returned the week before spring break, so she called Marcel in to get all squared away on new-hire paperwork so he can sub for them too. It's nice that they pay better, but they only call out for subs, which isn't as nice as what Vallivue has. While he was in the office, though, they were super excited to learn that he's a music guy. Turns out they have 2 music teachers retiring after this school year and they really want to hire Marcel. The school district administrators are in contact with George Fox to make arrangements for everything he'd have to do on a special schedule to make it possible for him to be teaching full-time next fall, even though he will not have completed his school (won't be done until May 2011) and will need a provisional license. It's crazy to me that they were so excited about offering him a job already (he'd still have to apply and interview, but I think it is just a formality) without knowing anything about him, besides that he wants to be a music teacher! We're still praying that everything works out the right way, not our way! It would be a huge blessing to have him working full-time, but this may not be the job God wants him to take.

Oh, that reminds me that I'm starting another job search and so is Marcel. He'll have a really hard time finding sub jobs when school isn't in session, so he's applying for the Boys & Girls Clubs in this area, that was his summer job back in Washington for many years. We have our fingers crossed for that! I'm looking for a night job. See, if Marcel doesn't get the real teaching position, he starts his first round of student teaching in November-ish, and the program "allows" you to work during that placement because you aren't the full-time teacher, but since Marcel works in schools subbing, he can't sub and do his observations, so I need another job to make up for the income of his we'll be losing. Plus, after that placement he starts full-time student teaching and they've said from the very beginning that you can't have another job during that placement. We know everything will work out just fine, because God is in control and we've been faithful with our tithing, but I still want to feel prepared and know that we did everything we could for the future.

Sorry that turned out to be so long even though I had nothing to report!

Valentine's Day Weekend

We haven't even reached Valentine's Day for real, but it has already been celebrated in our house. Working at Banana Republic makes it very difficult to make any plans for Sundays since we get our schedule for the new week Thursday night. Instead of just hoping I wasn't going to be scheduled, we were proactive and went out last night, since I'm always working in the mornings on week days.

We had dinner at TGI Friday's and even splurged on dessert! Then we went to see Valentine's Day. All Friday I was seeing links online for the bad reviews of the movies, but I didn't read them as to stay optimistic. It worked, because we both enjoyed it. Such a good movie; totally worth saving our movie passes from Christmas, as to make this holiday as budget friendly as possible :)

Like has become our tradition, there are no pictures of us out for the night, but we took some when we got home...

I look a bit ghostly, so we relocated...

My sister says our heads touch in every picture we take, but after 3 attempts at a decent picture with acceptable lighting the only one I like is the one with our heads touching, so I'm standing up for us taking pictures this way :)

This morning, we went to church for a Ministry 101 session. We feel that we've found the church God has called us to so we are hoping to get involved. How else do you feel connected in a church of 1200+ people? Marcel signed up for worship team as well as being an A/V guy, and I walked away from it wanting to pray about where to serve. Here are some pictures I made Marcel take with me as we were walking out the door

Marcel was whisteling so there was a few more rounds...

We will be back in church tomorrow morning. We are very excited for the message, "Having the Marriage You've Always Dreamed Of." I've heard many sermons on marriage in my adult life, but none since being married, so I'm very excited to see what we can take away from the pastor and his wife's message after being married 28 years.

PS: I've never really been too against or overly for Valentine's Day, but was very excited for our first Valentine's Day as husband and wife. We did have a great day/weekend, but I still prefer the dates we go on just because we want to and showing each other love when we want to and how we want to, instead of society telling us when and how. It is a pretty silly excuse of a holiday if you ask me.

Susie

The morning of New Years Eve, Marcel and I decided to enjoy the snow and build a snowman. It was something we'd yet to do as a couple. I had to borrow snow pants, boots, and gloves, so I didn't get wet or cold, and my mom's stuff came through for me. Now I'll just have to get some stuff of my own! And like always, Marcel was the photographer!

Making the base, turned out to be lopsided, but it worked!


our snowman turned into a girl when I made hair out of twigs!


MaryBeth, Susie, Marcel


MB & MB


Marcel's snow angel & MaryBeth's snow angel, in the backyard!

For the evening, we saw It's Complicated with my mom and Don and then hung out at their house for snacky food (who really eats a real meal during the holidays) and watching the ball drop. Marcel was confused with the time zone how it would work since when it was 9:30pm our time all the NYE coverage had a clock that read 10:30pm, but at 10pm we saw an hour of news before starting the coverage up again. Marcel and I can't remember what we did last year so I'm glad that our first married couple new year was spent in a memorable way!

26

I noticed on Facebook a few days ago that people were posting something they were thankful for for each day of November, until Thanksgiving. I'm a bit late but figured I could still come up with at least 26, so here is my list:

1. God--He has done more for me that I can ever begin to recall, but recently, he allowed me to meet my husband, he has provided for Marcel and I when things seem to be stacked against us, and of course, he loves us with His perfect love.
2. Marcel--Today, we are 4 days shy of our 6 month mark of being husband and wife. While we have not had as much time together as either of us would like, at the end of the day we both know that we are there for each other 100%. Marcel has shown me more love these last 6 months than I could ever deserve. Getting up at 3:30am with me to have the car warm when I leave for a 4am shift, and making breakfast for me on days when I work at 5am, having the whole house cleaned when I get home because work has made me too tired to clean it myself, I could go on and on, but I am thankful to have him by my side
3. Mom & Dad--People say you learn to respect your parents more once you become a parent, but I think just being married has given me a deeper respect for everything they do. Now that I am responsible for working, cooking, cleaning, paying bills and all the other grown up stuff, I see everything they did for me when I was young. Thank you!
4. Emily & Hannah--I could not ask for better sisters. We may not talk often enough, but when we finally get a hold of each other (we are all living in different time zones!) we talk like no time has passed and can tell each other just about anything we feel. I hope that my kids will one day have that same relationship with their siblings.
5. Marcel's family--So much of his family I feel I don't know well, or at all, and I may not be the closest to those I do know, but they made him who he is today and that alone makes me thankful!
6. I Love You--These simple 3 words speak volumes. It doesn't matter if I was mad, sad, disappointed, frustrated, happy, overwhelmed or any other emotion, hearing I Love You will always bring a smile to my face and make my day a little brighter
7. Our house--Every month, at the end of the month, when we are about to pay rent, I get worried wondering about where the $695 is going to come from (but see #1, because it always happens), and complain having such a big rent check to pay, but I am now trying to tell myself that we do have a place to live and for that I am thankful.
8. Our car--There are times when our one car is far from enough to get me and Marcel everywhere we need to be at the time we need to be there, but with Marcel's flexibility we are able to make it work. Our Vibe gets me back and forth between 2 jobs with 2 very crazy schedules.
9. Food--Marcel jokes that I have to eat every 2 hours and I get mad at him every time he says anything about it, but I have to admit that I can't go long between meals and we have always had something in the cupboard to fill that need.
10. Employment--I don't know if there has been a day where I have not complained to Marcel about one thing or the other about one of my jobs or the other, but I am thankful for having a job when so many people around me don't.
11. Education--I am so thankful for the opportunity I had to go to college and get a degree. If I am using it now or not, it is still something that can't be taken from me and is something that I will use, however God best sees fit.
12. Future--With how greats things have been, I am thankful for the future God has in store for me. I pray now that I will try to be grateful for what I am given and when I am given it because I know things work out better when we trust in Him.
13. Church--I was just saying today that I may not have been the most involved in my church, outside of Sunday School, but I still believe without the church experience no one would feel God move in their life the way He wants. I love Sonrise's mission statement/motto: A Safe Place to Hear a Life Changing Message. Everything you do hear at church is life changing, if you let it be.
14. Friends--Although I am soon moving away from those friends of mine that I've grown closest to over the last 5+ years, I am thankful for that friendship and now that it will never end. I am excited for the opportunity to develop new friendships as our life leads onto a new chapter in our life.
15. Health--I consider myself to be in good health, while I could be in better shape, overall I think I'm healthy and for that I'm thankful!
16. Seasons--I love living in a place that has such great seasons. I love all of them and can't imagine living in a place that did not allow me to experience the whole spectrum of God's creation.
17. Entertainment--Whether that be a good movie or a good TV show, I am thankful for the actors who are able to provide me that outlet. Maybe I watch a bit too much of it, but it is enjoyable nonetheless!
18. Sleeping in--It doesn't happen nearly as much as I would like for how late I stay up almost every night, but the days where I am finally am to sleep in are heavenly to me, almost as heavenly as...
19. No alarm clock--I think I would trade sleeping in if I could just simply wake up everyday when I wanted to. I feel so much at peace with my day when I chose when to wake up, instead of being told when to get up.
20. Rainbows--They are beautiful just to look at, but knowing why there is a rainbow in the sky is so much more important. Every time I see a rainbow, I am thankful that God will take care of us each and everyday.
21. Dave Ramsey--silly for some of you, but this man is guiding Marcel and I down the path to becoming debt-free. It will be the two of us doing all the hard work on the path, but he is showing us what path to take and I can't wait for the day when I owe no one money and Marcel and I can finally visit Australia! We have told ourselves when our student loans are entirely paid off we are going on a long vacation there
22. Technology--nearly every day I am checking my email, on facebook, blog stalking, or searching for jobs, and I would not be able to do any of that without the internet and a computer. While sometimes it does make your life harder, most of the time it does nothing but make it easier.
23. America--Things may not be going the best for our country right now, but overall this is a great place to live. I'm glad to be an American.
24. Dishwashers--As I was talking to my mom this week, she reminded me that our house in Idaho is without a dishwasher and it made me so glad that I have had one the last 6 months. It helped with our hectic schedules to have clean dishes waiting for us!
25. Photography--I thought I used to take a lot of pictures, but Marcel has taught me what it means to take pictures. He takes pictures of things I'd never think to and those are usually the ones that best capture the memories we're making. I enjoy scrapbooking and hope that soon I'll have time to get caught up enough on mine that I can start our wedding book, and to think that none of it would be possible without the picture.
26. Life, in general--Everyday I feel frustrated by money, work, messes, just to name a few, but this Thanksgiving I am trying especially hard to find the good in everything, everyday. I am blessed!

Happy Halloween

Our lives have been so busy that we nearly forgot about Halloween this year. I believe it was Monday night when we looked at our weekly calendar and realized we had made it to the week of Halloween and so we tried to find time to carve a pumpkin, deciding on Friday night, only to realize a few hours later that my crazy work schedule wouldn't allow it: I worked 4-7pm and then 8pm-2am. Plus Friday we went to Safeway for pumpkins and they had none. Between work last night I went to Fred Meyer and they had just a handful of very destroyed pumpkins. This led us to the decision of not having any this year. I'm very sad about today being Halloween and I'm not going to be carving a pumpkin this year. We have decided that our life will be a bit different and maybe the jobs we'll have in Idaho will allow a decent amount of time to spend together so we don't forget about holidays!

Speaking of Idaho, we're planning on being there in 7 weeks from today, which means I only have 6 more weeks of work! And the way they have both been going I am so excited to be so close to being on to bigger and better things, even if I'm not quite sure what they entails.

Easter & Snoh's Birthday

Yesterday, Marcel and I had a very busy Easter Sunday. We headed up north to Olympia/Lacey (I always say we go to Olympia, but I'm pretty sure they live in Lacey!) after 2 church services in Oregon, one we attended and one I taught. It is a drive that I hate actually driving, but had to because I'm still in the rental car and Marcel is not authorized to drive it. We stopped halfway through the trip for food and drink because I had gotten sick the night before. We weren't there for too long, because Marcel had school to get back for, but all in all, we had a great time. Got to see some family-to-be and had a pretty relaxing day off from everything.

Onto the best part: pictures!

The birthday boy on his new bike
(in the garage, because it was trying to flood yesterday!)

Mr. & Mrs. Bailey (in 47 days)

Me and Myah, Marcel's darling cousin, who instantly attached to me, just like she did 6 months ago on Thanksgiving. We know that we'll have one just like her someday:)

A pretty silly picture but we took it ourselves

All the kids enjoying their birthday cake in the kitchen

(it was delicious and made by the same guy doing our wedding cake!)

Hope everyone else had an Easter as good as we did!